Play Pretend
by momoxtoshiro
Summary: The devastating truth of the world was that the Grimm were gradually increasing in number, and the numbers of huntsmen and huntresses were on the decline. To a normal citizen, one who fought monsters was not a wise person, but a fool. [Happy -belated- RWBY Tuesday!]
1. Chapter 1

**So because of Fanfiction's site being down all day yesterday, this fic missed being posted on RWBY Tuesday. After over 2 years of posting my fics consistently on Tuesdays, please accept it a day late.**

 **This idea came to me a long while ago and so I decided to write it out. You'll find a few bits and pieces of unfinished roleplays in here, because I didn't want to see the writing die away completely, so I put them into a story to share.** **It's set in a slightly different world, as you'll soon discover. It's still Vale and Remnant, but being a huntsman/huntress is considered a lesser job of sorts by some people.**

 **Set in the future, but not the widely-known Future AU specifically. It's just the girls when they're in their twenties, but there are no outstanding physical differences in their appearances.**

 **The lyrics of the song "Pretend" by Lights have a heavy influence on this story, so give it a listen sometime! (As well as Lights' other great music). You'll find various lines of the song scattered about the fic when relevant.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.**

* * *

Play Pretend

Chapter 1.

Being a huntsman or huntress in the kingdom of Vale was considered a lot of things.

It was undoubtedly perilous work, and not for the faint of heart; it required a desensitization toward spilling blood, be it an opponent's, or your own. In more than a few cases, one minor slip-up had cost the lives of countless innocents.

Nowadays, with an unsettling increase in the population of Grimm, it wasn't rare for a huntsman to fail a mission. Depending on the severity of his shortcomings, he may repent by simply promising to do better next time - or more drastically - by killing himself.

Every person reacted differently to their own personal mishaps, some calmly, and others dramatically. In more recent years, the latter had become the most common reaction, for one reason or another.

The devastating truth of the world was that the Grimm were gradually increasing in number, and the numbers of huntsmen and huntresses were on the decline.

Perhaps it was because of the dangerous nature of the job.

Perhaps it was because of the hastiness with which the higher-ups were throwing untrained or unprepared fighters onto the front lines out of desperation.

Or perhaps it was because of how the once-heroic profession was now being looked down upon.

To a normal citizen, one who fought monsters was not a wise person, but a fool.

Few attended the funerals of huntsmen and huntresses who lost their lives in the line of duty anymore. Some were even shunned by their own families.

And yet, there still remained a sizable fraction of people who admired the work of the Grimm-fighters. Despite being a minority, they were a strong faction, united and with a lot of heart.

It was easy to tell which children of the new generation would become huntsmen and huntresses from the start. You either wanted to or you didn't, and there weren't really too many floating betwixt.

Amongst the sea of uncertain, floundering souls that were into hunting for the money, there were many renown fighters who fought for different reasons.

Their names were known throughout the kingdom, and the best of the best were known throughout the world.

In rare circumstances, one such big-league huntsman would end up paying for his recklessness with his life, and the tragedy would make headlines for a single day before his existence was all but forgotten by society, swept under the rug like another mistake. Some died young, and few continued hunting long enough to be considered old.

Many people didn't see the merit in "wasting their prime" in a job that could potentially kill them.

But a certain huntress with a famous red cloak and a massive scythe had once refuted that statement with a haunting one of her own.

" _Any_ job can kill you if you're not careful enough."

. . .

' _ **Cause everyone's watching and quick to start talking – I'm losing my innocence.**_

 _. . ._

\- Ruby Rose was one of the biggest names in present huntresses history.

At the ripe age of just twenty-one, she had already set a new record for killing Grimm for someone of her age and position.

Most hunters took several years after graduation from combat school to achieve their first one-hundred kills, but Ruby had more than doubled that number within the same window of time.

And here she was now with a kill count of five-hundred and thirty four, numbers that bested even most of her old seniors from Beacon Academy.

Due to her impressive accomplishments since she'd finished her studies, she had naturally received the designated pay for her troubles.

But Ruby wasn't in it for the money – no one on her team was.

They all had their reasons.

The main reason for Ruby's high kill count numbers was because of her unwavering dedication to the profession. Her old teammates often still hunted as well, but for the most part, they had other things to attend to.

In addition to hunting regularly, Yang had started her own business at a restaurant and bar in town, a place she ran more or less by herself.

Blake was an advocate for Faunus rights, often using the money she was rewarded from hunts to give to struggling people of her race, and to better their chances for equality and justice.

Weiss juggled hunting with being the heiress her father had always wanted, working relentlessly to please him with her work at Schnee Dust while still somehow managing to get in a few hunts on the side.

And Ruby knew that they were all following their own dreams as best they could.

But Ruby herself had nothing else to hold her back. Hunting was what she'd always wanted to do with her life, and she intended to continue on down this path unobstructed and without an ounce of distraction or shred of regret.

The four of them still hunted together often, be it with their old partners or each others' - whomever was available at the time, really. It was a bit rarer where the four of them could find enough free time to be able to hunt together.

But even if fighting Grimm as a team was no longer and everyday occurrence, at the very least they made it a point to see one another as often as possible.

The typical meeting spot was Yang's place, as she'd give them all a bit of a discount on a meal and some free refills on drinks so they could all sit, relax, and catch up.

There was a mission ahead tomorrow, one they had all set aside all else for. They'd made arrangements to be covered, and had anticipated to be absent in their respective lines of work.

Presently, Ruby hurried down the sidewalks of the streets of Vale, her infamous crimson cloak drifting out behind her on the wind.

Her hair had grown a bit in recent years, but not enough yet to warrant getting cut. The rosy tips framed her white cheeks like roses kissing snowy hills. Her silver eyes were bright and lively, sparkling like the stars that would soon be winking to life overhead in just a few hours' time.

She always kept Crescent Rose on her person now, its weight a constant but unrestrictive presence on her back, a pleasant, familiar pressure that reminded her to be proud of herself each and every day. As a legal huntress, she had a permit to carry her weapon with her anywhere she might choose.

Naturally, it was a bit off-putting to some people, mainly those who didn't know her personally. But she was a regular at her sister's restaurant, and slipping in through the glass doors now wasn't an issue or an inconvenience for anyone.

She was glad to see that the restaurant was more or less filled to capacity, indication that Yang was doing well in her work.

But Ruby knew there would always be a spot open for her.

She skirted the restaurant area, knowing where she'd find her sister at this hour of the evening. Sure enough, she spotted Yang behind the bar's counter, laughing heartily with the patron she was presently preparing a drink for.

But the instant she saw her little sister – who really wasn't so little anymore – Yang put down the glass and hurried from behind the counter, opening her arms with a cheerful cry.

"Ruby!"

The call of her name was like a cue, and the huntress dashed forward to cover the last few yards between them, sending up a little spiral of rose petals behind her.

"Yaaaang!"

A split second later, she was met with her sister's tight, crushing embrace, one Ruby had long-since gotten used to. It was a combination of hard and soft as Ruby nuzzled into her neck, catching the faint scent of citrus and alcohol on Yang's collar.

When Yang released her, it was with an affectionate ruffle of hair, followed by a sloppy kiss to the forehead.

"How's my baby sis been doin'? Haven't seen ya in like... three whole days! Busy?"

"A bit." Ruby fixed her ruffled clothing and smoothed out her dress and cloak. "But never busy enough to miss our usual meet-ups! How've _you_ been?"

With a grin, Yang opened her arms and gave a small spin, presenting the restaurant to Ruby like any hostess would.

"As you can see, business is boomin'!" she declared. "But I made sure to tell everyone I'll be MIA tomorrow. The place'll still be open, but my best workers'll be in charge instead of me."

With a glance behind her, Yang realized she hadn't finished preparing her patron's drink for him yet. He hadn't taken offense, but still, Yang caught the eye of her nearest, unoccupied employee and sent them a silent request to finish what she'd started.

Meanwhile, the blonde slapped a heavy pat onto her sister's back, making Ruby cough.

"C'mon, then! Our secret table's waitin' for us!"

Ruby followed her back past the bar, to a small room where there was indeed a 'secret table'. The restaurant had several other rooms that were meant to entertain parties and the like, but this room in particular was for "team RWBY get-togethers only", Yang had once declared.

Ruby's eyes flashed about the familiar room, instantly noting that it was otherwise empty.

"You're the first one here," Yang informed her. "I got a call from Blake on my scroll 'bout half an hour ago saying she'd be here soon, but no word yet from the princess. She say anything to you?"

Ruby shook her head.

"No. She's probably busy trying to shake her father off her sleeve."

Yang rolled her eyes and sighed.

"Yeah, good ol' Weissy'll be here soon enough, I'm sure. But for now it's just you and me, sis!"

The large table before them was set for four, and Yang took her usual seat first, pulling out the chair beside her and patting it for Ruby.

One of Yang's employees came back to ask what they'd be drinking. Ruby's immediate response of "chocolate milkshake, please!" very nearly made Yang chuckle, just as it always did. Her little sister might've grown some inches and gained some muscle, but she really hadn't changed.

"I'll have a beer," Yang requested.

The boy nodded before dipping his head and leaving them for the moment.

Ruby puffed out one cheek and looked at her sister.

"I can't believe you turned into a drinker."

"Hey, it's not like I have a problem, or anything," Yang defended herself. "Only time I ever drink is when the four of us are meeting up like tonight. Drinkin' alone's no fun." She'd tried it before, but knew well enough by now that it was no use. Even when it was just herself and Blake for the night, trudging home to the other's humble apartment to get some rest, drinking did her no good. Or even when Weiss could afford to invite Yang up into her fancier hotel room, the alcohol did nothing for the blonde.

Yang had eventually decided she'd much rather enjoy the company of her individual friends soberly, and be a bit tipsy for all of them to laugh at together.

But again, seeing Ruby's eyes light up when the waiter came back with her tall glass full of liquid chocolate was incomparable to anything else for Yang - even a good glass of beer.

Even now, Ruby's taste buds still favored soda and sugar, as opposed to an arguably more refined palette that preferred booze and bitterness. It was something that never failed to make Yang smile.

By the time she'd sipped half of her beer, Ruby had already gone through two milkshakes and had requested her third. They were holding off on ordering food until their partners arrived, so for now they stuck to chatting and chugging.

But several minutes later, the person who entered the room wasn't the waiter.

Like a shadow, Blake appeared in the doorway, dressed in her typical choice of darker clothes.

She'd recently lopped a few inches off her hair, but it still reached down to the middle of her back. Her Faunus ears stood proudly and unbound atop her head, the black ribbon now tied around her left wrist instead.

After graduating Beacon, she had revealed her Faunus identity officially and stated that she would no longer be ashamed or intimidated into hiding who she was.

The second Ruby spotted her, she gulped down the mouthful of milkshake she'd been holding, resulting in the instant sting of brain-freeze.

"A-Aaaahhh B-Blake!" she called out, trying to sound less in pain and more inviting and excited. "G-Good to see you!"

And despite the stress of the long day, the curses and remarks she'd heard hurled her way through the dark alleys, Blake smiled all too easily at the sight of the sisters.

Yang had a bit of a beer mustache and Ruby was tapping her foot insistently and shaking her head like a wet dog. It never ceased to amaze Blake how quickly these people could make her laugh.

"Hi, Ruby," she greeted, dipping her head as she entered the room. "How are you, Yang?"

The blonde clapped her hands together and stood, revealing white teeth as she grinned.

"Never better, partner! Glad you could make it!"

She stood and pulled the Faunus girl into a brief hug, gentler than the one she had given Ruby, but no less comforting.

Blake sighed, closing her eyes for a second to savor the contact, then opting to return it. She saw Yang at least every other day, but her hugs were some of the only ones Blake ever received anymore, so she made sure to relish each and every one.

When she was released, Yang led her to her seat across from Ruby. The waiter returned to ask for what she'd like to drink.

"Water will be fine, thank you."

It'd been all she'd gotten by on in her younger years, and even though she could afford something else now if she truly wanted to, water was all she needed. Humble beginnings had demanded humble sources of sustenance, and that gratitude for the simplest, most basic human necessity had carried over to shape who she was today.

The waiter brought a glass of ice water for her, and handed Ruby her third milkshake for once the brain-freeze had subsided. Blake took a few sips from her glass, realizing it had been the most she'd drank all day, considering the most she got whilst doing her work was a sip every hour or so.

Yang took a drink from her beer as well, wiping the foam off her lips with the back of her hand. Blake swatted her partner's arm and handed her a napkin instead.

"This might be your restaurant, Yang, but you should still have some manners. You're lucky Weiss isn't here yet."

"Yeah, yeah..." she grumbled. "Leave it to the princess to hound me about conducting myself on my own turf."

"Where is she, by the way?" Blake wondered, naturally looking to Ruby for answers.

The brunette swallowed another mouthful of ice cream before shrugging and shaking her head.

"Dunno. She didn't tell me specifically this time. But she shouldn't be long now!"

And she was right, as she often was when it came to predicting her partner's behavior.

It was just a few minutes later, after Yang's stomach had started to growl, when the final member of their group entered the room.

Ruby jumped up instantly.

"Weiss!"

Dressed in her usual attire – white and blue business clothes lined with a bit of red all around – Weiss' posture was as defined as ever, though she was a bit out of breath.

Ruby raced to her, throwing her arms around Weiss' shoulders and forcing her into a much-deserved hug. The heiress stuttered and stumbled against the added weight, just barely managing to move her face to once side to avoid smashing her chin on Ruby's shoulder.

"G-Goodness!" she huffed. "Ruby, I understand you're happy to see me, but _must_ you come running like a massive dog _each_ and _every_ time to tackle me?"

"Aw, lighten up, princess!" Yang called. "Like ya said, she's just happy to see ya! Since you're fashionably late, and all."

"She saw me yesterday..."

With a grumble and a sigh, Weiss patted Ruby's back, feeling the girl nuzzling affectionately into the side of her neck. This was one of many things about her partner that hadn't changed in six years.

Only when Weiss was actually starting to have trouble catching her breath did she gently coax Ruby back a step. The brunette sheepishly released her grip on her partner's ribs and smiled widely.

"Gang's all here!" she declared. "Now we can order food!"

Yang cheered, Blake laughed, and Weiss rolled her eyes.

"If I'm not mistaken, the four of us were supposed to be meeting here to discuss something of importance?" she prompted. "Something like... oh, I don't know, a mission of sorts?"

Yang waved a hand dismissively.

"Don't be so uptight. We'll get to that eventually. Gotta have some grub first, though! Take a load off!"

Ruby took the grumbling Weiss' hand and brought her over to her seat before sitting back down beside her. Weiss kept her back straight and proper as ever as she turned the other way to meet Blake's eyes.

"How've you been, Blake?" she asked. "I haven't seen you in a few days. I hope these two haven't been driving you _too_ mad."

"Hey!" The unanimous cry off offense came from both sisters, and Blake laughed again.

"Not too much," she replied. "How are things with the company?"

It was a casual question, but a topic she needed to tread on lightly.

Weiss' countenance was contemplative for a few seconds as she thought through a response.

"Same as always," she answered. "In exchange for my utter devotion to overseeing the Dust mining and selling, my father's keeping his nose out of your peoples' business."

Blake's smile returned.

"And I can't thank you enough for that."

Over the years, the two of them had come to this silent, unofficial agreement. Weiss did everything within her power to keep her father from using Faunus labor unfairly – she saw to it that all of her workers applied for the job themselves and were paid equally, regardless of race.

In exchange, Blake had adamantly defended Schnee Dust and prevented unruly Faunus from stealing products or harming Weiss' people in any way.

The deal had gotten off to a rocky start within the first few years, and there had been minor bloodshed and other mishaps.

But now – after years of painstaking work and the convincing of others – the Faunus and Schnee Dust had formed somewhat of a tolerant relationship. And while it might not have been as preferable as a symbiotic one, at least Faunus were no longer being abused, and humans were no longer being harassed.

Whenever Ruby saw Weiss and Blake sharing those prideful little looks with one another, she couldn't help but smile.

She could still remember it like yesterday, their first argument back at Beacon, the storming off and the yelling and the huffed comments. But through taking the time to listen, and trying to understand each other, they had gradually gotten to where they were today; accepting business partners on the surface, and the closest of friends deeper down.

Ruby was so proud of them – of _all_ of them.

Blake and Weiss weren't the only ones working to better the world they lived in, after all.

Yang's restaurant welcomed all kinds of people and didn't discriminate. A human who ordered the same dish as a Faunus would receive the exact same bill, nothing tweaked or tainted. Her elder sister had done a wonderful job with helping to spread equal treatment for all people, but Ruby always had to wonder...

Where had Yang's _dream_ gone?

She'd said it herself many times, how she was a thrill-seeker who wanted to travel the world. Opening up a restaurant in the heart of Vale kept her cemented there, like a bird with clipped wings. It went against most things she'd ever wanted, and Ruby couldn't understand.

She'd asked Yang about it once, and her sister had sighed and showed her a small, sad grin.

"It's better this way," she'd said. "Putting food on peoples' plates – human, Faunus, or otherwise – and giving them a place where they don't have to worry about letting out some laughs or showing their ears and tails... I'd rather do this for the benefit of others than be selfish in following my own dream for myself. Plus, it's really not bad. I love it."

And it was clear that she did.

But it was also clear to Ruby that... there was something else her sister would love even _more_.

Freedom. The freedom to spread her wings and travel without a care in the world, to go on all of those adventures she'd dreamed of as a child.

And Ruby knew that Weiss' and Blake's lines of works probably hadn't been their first choices either. Of course, like Yang, they too enjoyed shaping the world for the next generation, creating a better future for all of them.

But what about _their_ dreams?

It was incredibly selfless, what they were all doing, but it always made Ruby feel guilty.

 _She'd_ achieved her dream. She'd become a hero long ago, waking up every day to go out with her beloved Crescent Rose and hunt monsters, protect the innocent who couldn't protect themselves. She lived her dream on a daily basis.

But she always felt guilty in knowing her teammates were more or less stuck in a purgatory of sorts. They'd pushed aside their own desires for the sake of others, and it was hard to say if they'd ever get to experience the same luxury that Ruby did.

Growing up hadn't been kind to everyone. Even now, as she watched the three of them order supper, she could see it in all of them.

Weiss' posture was painfully stiff, and despite her pristine appearance, she seemed to be stressed enough to be ready to collapse.

Blake's eyes weren't sparkling like they'd used to – that initial curiosity and wonder was gone, replaced by a dullness forced on by routine and homogeneity, a look that made Ruby look away.

And Yang's smile was fake, unless she was looking at one of her teammates, then it was a tired smile – plastered on – one that longed for something more.

Ruby felt as though... she was the only one of the four who truly _lived_ anymore. She didn't want the people she cherished so dearly to be unhappy in life, for any reason.

Just in thinking about it, Ruby's shoulders had visibly slumped, and her eyes had dropped down to the empty plate in front of her.

The rest of them weren't idiots; they'd sensed something was wrong from the second they'd walked in. If the obvious visible cues Ruby was giving them weren't enough to demonstrate that something was off, the unfinished chocolate milkshake was more than enough.

The three of them shared concerned, puzzled looks. Then, Weiss opted to move her chair a bit closer to her partner's, touching her shoulder lightly.

"Ruby, please," she murmured. "Just tell us all what's on your mind. Is this about the mission you're going to tell us about?"

Her words reminded the brunette that she still had yet to give them details on that, but she figured it could wait. She shook her head in response to the question, and crumbled, voicing her fears.

"It's just... you guys don't seem happy," she began. "Yang-" She looked over to her sister. "You never got to travel the world like you wanted to. And Blake, you're making things better for humans and Faunus, but you're sacrificing your own freedom in the process. And Weiss... you've inherited the company, but you still don't get along with your dad or sister, and I'm _sure_ you're forced to take dangerous risks sometimes. I dunno, it just... doesn't seem like you guys got to live your dreams like I did..."

Her eyes went back down to the vacant table in front of her.

Weiss, Blake, and Yang all shared shocked glances with one another.

And then the room was filled with laughter.

Ruby straightened up, looking around at all of them in utter confusion.

"Guys? What is it?"

" _You_ , Ruby," Blake mused.

"Huh?"

"Ruby..." Weiss patted her shoulder once more. "You worry _far_ too much for your own good, or anyone else's." _And you still have the heart of a kid_. She kept that part to herself before continuing. "You don't need to worry about us. I, for one, am perfectly happy with where I am right now. Albeit's not exactly ideal, but I'll get there."

Blake nodded from where she sat beside the heiress.

"Weiss is right. I'm not in the best spot right now, but believe me, it's far from the worst. And I'm still enjoying what I do every day. It benefits others, and that's what makes me happy."

"Right!" Yang grinned. "It's the same for me, Ruby. Could be better, but could be a _whooole_ lot worse, y'know? Of all the things to be doing with my life right now, this definitely isn't the worst."

When her sister was finished speaking, Ruby's eyes went back to Weiss, who had given her shoulder another pat.

"We're only twenty-three years old, Ruby. Don't count us out for achieving our dreams just yet, okay?"

The three older girls offered kind, reassuring smiles for her.

Ruby found she couldn't keep frowning like this. So she allowed herself to smile as well.

"Yeah, of course not," she chuckled. "But still... even just you guys coming with me on hunts kinda... looks bad for you, doesn't it?"

Being a huntress wasn't exactly the most respected profession in Vale nowadays. Whatever merit and recognition the three had gotten in their lines of work was undoubtedly stained in the eyes of society, considering they all hunted on the side.

Weiss was all but running the largest Dust-producing company in the world, Blake was working to unite two species of people, and Yang was striving to feed the hungry.

But no matter the wonderful things they did that got them praise and acknowledgement, when they were affiliated with hunting Grimm, people turned the other cheek and pretended not to see anything.

Ruby knew that her teammates could've been twice as respected in society if they didn't come on these hunts together with her and get labeled as fools who were wasting their time.

But once again, soft laughter intercepted Ruby's thoughts before they could drag her mind down too far.

"Ruby, please..." Weiss sighed again. "We really aren't looked down upon for being huntresses as much as you seem to think we are. I mean, yes, my father would rather I dedicate my time and energy to the company, but he recognizes my skill and encourages me to put it to good use. If I didn't, I'd simply be wasting the potential I was born with, and my father _won't_ accept wasted potential. Hunting has been a part of my life for so long now. There's no way I could just stop."

"And besides," Blake added. "Do you know how many people _admire_ us for hunting? Sure, the majority are disapproving, because a lot of novices have been thrown onto the field recently and made the rest of us look like idiots.

"But the only reason that happened was because they were accepting anyone they could get in the hunting schools. People are _scared_ to hunt Grimm because of their increase in numbers recently, so fewer people go to school for it. But the town knows a seasoned huntress when they see one, and they appreciate what we do, Ruby. They really do."

"Exactly~" Yang hummed. "Hunting Grimm doesn't put a damper on my business, that's for sure! Whenever I can come back and add a hide to the taxidermy collection out front, people flock in. I always lower prices for a day after a good hunt, and I get tons more customers, make bigger bucks, and then I can give more to the people who need it," she declared. "Hunts are good for all of us, Ruby. Any time we can take a bit more of what makes people fearful and anxious out of the world, that's a damn _good_ thing."

As the blonde finished speaking, Weiss nodded and met her partner's silver eyes once more.

"We're not ashamed of what we do, Ruby. You shouldn't be, either."

The youngest of the four sighed again, but the smile remained.

"Sorry. Yeah, you guys are right." She met each of their gazes and grinned. "I'm glad you guys aren't embarrassed of me!"

Blake and Yang blurted their shock first.

"Embarrassed?"

"Of _my_ lil' sis? Never!"

"Well..." Weiss mumbled. "Of course not for fighting Grimm together. But the time you ran in during one of my speeches and _tackled_ me during the middle of my presentation so you could apologize for being late, and the time you met my father and said I was your partner and didn't specify that it wasn't romantic, and the time we were hosting that dinner party and you put sugar instead of salt-"

"Okay, okay!" Ruby whined. "I get it! But yeah, I'm just glad you're not embarrassed about the huntress stuff! Everything else is fine!"

"'Fine', she says," Weiss muttered. "My father still thinks we're engaged..."

"Well...~" Yang hummed, but Weiss silenced her with a growl before she could finish. That earned a hearty laugh from Ruby. Weiss grumbled and sat back in her chair, receiving a playful nudge from Blake. The heiress huffed, her eyes still on the brunette.

"Finish your milkshake, Ruby. You've only drank half and it's making me worried."

"Yes, ma'am!"

With a salute, Ruby grabbed her glass and began sucking on the straw as if for dear life. Weiss' warning to "slow down, you dunce!" came too late, and the girl howled when more unpleasant prickles of brain-freeze assaulted her nose. Weiss pinched it for her while scolding her for being so hasty, while the other two looked on affectionately.

"Just like old times~" Yang hummed.

"Yeah."

By then, their food had arrived, and the four girls began eating.

For all of them, this was the first time all day they'd actually gotten to sit down and enjoy themselves.

Here, like this, they could relax, smile, and laugh. In each others' presences were the only places they ever really did as much anymore.

. . .

It was about an hour later when they'd all finally finished eating, and Ruby had ordered a bowl of chocolate ice cream for dessert.

Weiss was just having the last sip of her wine, Blake was leaning back to close her eyes for a moment, and Yang was wiping off the foamy mustache her beer had left behind.

That was when Ruby finally straightened up and began discussing their mission. As soon as she mentioned it, the other three leaned forward eagerly; after all, this was why they'd all gathered here tonight in the first place, to hear the details of this mission.

"It's a Grimm hunt," Ruby began. "I mean, obviously. But it's not like the others."

Her words caused her teammates' expressions to grow a bit more stern, their eyes narrowing and focusing. Ruby slipped another spoonful of ice cream into her mouth and swallowed before continuing.

"It's not just a pack of Beowulves in the nearby forest this time. It's not some oversized Ursa or even a flock of Nevermore. It's... a lot _bigger_ than anything we've ever really dealt with all at once before. Even that time back in Beacon when the subterranean Grimm broke through into Vale. I mean, of course we're all much more experienced now, but even then..."

Her eyes glazed over a bit, and the other three were growing anxious. Weiss leaned forward and tapped her partner on the arm.

"Get on with it, Ruby. Just tell us what we'll be up against exactly."

With a nod, the younger girl went on.

"Bone Weavers," she said.

Just those two words sent shudders through everyone's spines.

Bone Weavers were a recent discovery in the world of Grimm. They were like giant spiders the sizes of horses, and they shot webs that could cocoon and trap a person in less than a second. If you couldn't cut yourself free quickly enough or have someone else come to your rescue, you'd be bitten into by a set of fangs and drained of bodily fluids in seconds. The legs could pierce metal, and the venom that dripped from their mouths meant a slow, agonizing death if it entered the bloodstream.

The beasts had gotten their name because of how they treated their victims – once the prey's body was naught but a husk of a shell, the Grimm would leave the carcasses hanging in the treetops in webs, until the flesh deteriorated and left only bare bones. This resulted in various skeletons dangling from massive webs high up in the forests, clattering ominously in the wind.

It was a sight few ever saw, but none ever forgot.

All four of the girls caught their breath before Ruby went on.

"An entire hoard of them was just discovered not too far from Mountain Glenn. They were only spotted a few days ago by a reconnaissance team, but... the numbers are estimated to be up to a hundred."

That was when the atmosphere got a bit heavy.

Back at Beacon, it would've taken all four girls in top form to take down a dozen of the beasts. But now they were looking at roughly twenty-five each.

While more years of molding their skills and gaining experience were behind them now, it was still a bit of a push.

Ruby could see the uncertainty in all of their gazes.

"I get it if you guys don't want to do this. It's kind of a huge job. But the higher-ups were just saying how it won't be long before these things start causing problems. The Bone Weavers probably were forced out of their own underground colony by other by other Grimm, and now they're wandering to the surface. It'll only be a few weeks before they ravage the forests and start being drawn toward town. We'd wanted to gather a team of experienced hunters to send out before that could happen."

She bit her lip and met Weiss' gaze, then Blake's, and finally Yang's.

"And there's... one more thing..."

She took a breath and tried to configure her words properly.

"The recon team... they found that... there's a... like a _really_ big one. It like... controls all the others somehow, and they obey it."

"So..." Yang mumbled. "Kinda like the final boss."

"The queen bee," Blake added.

"The ruler of the hoard, essentially," Weiss concluded.

"Yeah! It's like... all of those things. And it'd be best just to kill that one first, but it's underground. We wouldn't really be able to find it even if we took an Air Ship and dropped down. So our best bet is to go on-foot. There are a lot of details," she said, grimacing. "But that's the main idea.

"And I know it's a lot to be asking of you guys. This mission is... incredibly dangerous, and really the only reason I'm coming to you guys is because everyone else refused to take it. The people who might've been skilled enough to tackle this have all been dispatched on other missions, and by the time they got back to Vale, it might be too late."

She hung her head for a moment and sighed again. "I hate that I have to put this burden on you guys. I know you have plenty of other work to do, and this job could get us all killed..."

Perhaps that was why she'd called them all out here tonight, to enjoy one last meal when they could be sure all of them would be able to attend.

When she looked up once more, her silver eyes were ridden with guilt and uncertainty.

"I'm not going to force you guys to accept this. I don't-"

"I'm in."

Weiss' answer was swift and decisive, leaving no room for questions. But naturally, Ruby tried to ask them anyway.

"What? But, Weiss-"

"Count me in, too," Blake said.

"And of _course_ me!" Yang added.

Ruby shook her head.

"But this is... this is really a big difference compared to anything we've ever faced before. It's-"

"Ruby." Weiss put a hand on her shoulder again to quiet her. "Don't you think we already know that? You've been gabbing to us about this mission nonstop for the past ten minutes. I think we're all well-aware of the risks."

"But you said it yourself," Blake continued. "No one else would take this job, and if someone doesn't do something about it soon, the spiders will start crawling toward Vale. I think people would rather be invaded by Death Stalkers or Taijitu. Bone Weavers are the most-feared type of Grimm that we know of."

"Someone's gotta do it," Yang said with a shrug. "And it might as well be us, right? Especially if there's no one else available to get the job done. What better team than four of Beacon's top-graduated huntresses, back in business together again?"

But Ruby was still a bit skeptical. She'd heard the reports herself and seen the blurry photos that had been taken. She'd seen just how _many_ of these things there were.

"But still, I... I don't want you guys to-"

"Ruby." Weiss stopped her yet again, boring her crystal-blue gaze into hers. "What are you doing, you dunce? You called us to dinner tonight to brief us about this mission, not warn us to keep away from it. We've all accepted it already, probably as early as yesterday. Just knowing the details now isn't going to chase us away – as much as you might hope it to," she added softly.

Ruby blinked and chewed her bottom lip again. Weiss reached up to brush a thumb over her chin, clearing away a speck of ice cream in the process.

"Don't think you can scare us away from this just because you want to keep us safe. We're with you, Ruby. We always have been, and we always will be."

Her hand then slid down her partner's arm, seeking Ruby's own hand. Weiss wound their pinkies together and gave a wink.

Ruby's smile started to come back.

Blake stood from her seat and skirted the table until she was on her leader's other side.

"Weiss is right," she said, patting the brunette's other shoulder. "I need a break from everything anyway, and a normal Grimm hunt probably wouldn't do the trick. This is the kind of action I'm looking for." She took Ruby's other hand and squeezed. "We're with you, Ruby."

The younger girl turned her head to meet Blake's eyes this time, shimmering gold, and more vibrant than they had been before, now that the prospect of this battle had been brought to light.

Ruby smiled back and forth between the two of them, until she felt a strong pair of arms wrap around her shoulders from behind her chair. Tilting her chin back, she gazed upward to find Yang grinning down at her, brighter than the sun.

"We got your back, Ruby. Weiss already said all the cool stuff, but yeah, it's true, okay? Don't ever doubt that. We'll always be a team."

At last, Ruby's smile was back full-force, the way it should've been.

That contagious grin always spread to the rest of them as well.

"Right!" Ruby declared. "We're a team, and we're gonna do this together!"

"Yeah!"

"Right."

"Of course."

The three older girls hugged Ruby as best they could from their respective angles, and Ruby wrapped an arm around whomever she could. A moment later, they pulled apart.

"Alright then," Ruby went on. "We can all meet up an Yang's place tomorrow, and an Air Ship will take us as close as we can get to the forest."

"Good," Weiss nodded. "But for now Ruby, please finish your ice cream."

Ruby grinned and chuckled again.

"You got it!"

* * *

 **A/N: There's the set-up for this fic! Again, the world is essentially the same as the RWBY-verse in the series, but the prospect of being a huntsman/huntress is a bit different. It's not the worst but it's not the best line of work. I hope I described it alright.**

 **And the Bone Weavers were an idea I took from one of my unfinished roleplays. I would very much love to see some spider-inspired Grimm in the show.**

 **If you like my work, you can support me on as Kiria Alice!**

 **Please review!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Unfortunately with my busy schedule, I only got to look this chapter over once, so I apologize if you see mistakes. Please tell me if you do!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.**

* * *

Chapter 2.

That night, they all went back to their respective places to sleep.

Weiss retreated to her father's mansion and informed him about the upcoming mission.

Blake went back to the hideouts her fellows often gathered in to do the same.

Yang briefed her workers on the situation once the restaurant had closed for the night.

Ruby had stayed with her after saying goodbye to Weiss and Blake, and once all was said and done, the two sisters retreated back to Yang's apartment.

It was a spacious place, a bit too much for just Yang, so she was always happy to have Ruby stay with her. Ruby was the only one of the four who didn't have any surefire place to sleep at on any given night.

And although she sometimes found herself in Blake's safe-house, and in even rarer times in Weiss' guest room, more often than not Yang was her rebound.

The apartment's bedroom consisted of bunk beds, after all, and she felt _someone_ needed to help Yang out with filling them.

But tonight, they didn't stay up together and chat or watch movies. The gravity of tomorrow's mission was weighing over them now, and after removing their day clothes for simpler sleepwear, they headed for bed.

Normally, Ruby took the top bunk and Yang the bottom, but tonight was one of those more uncommon occasions when the two of them dared to squeeze into one bunk together.

Ruby cuddled up on the bottom beside her sister, a feat that had proven much easier when they'd both been a bit smaller. But even now, they managed to make themselves comfortable, wrapping the other in a warm embrace.

Yang hummed Summer's lullaby for her that night, and Ruby slept better than she had in weeks.

* * *

In the morning, Yang woke first and kissed Ruby's forehead before slipping out of bed, bound for the kitchen to prepare breakfast.

It was still before sunrise, but she knew they'd need to get moving sooner rather than later, so that they may make it to Mountain Glenn and hopefully finish this mission before nightfall.

Ruby woke to the homely scent of bacon and eggs, and she pushed herself up before stumbling to the kitchen to find her sister.

They ate together in comfortable silence, save from the few little comments from Ruby about the cooking, be they compliments or complaints.

Once they were finished, they put their plates in the sink before setting out to finish their next task. They packed a small backpack full of food and water bottles, a bit of lunch for everyone before they'd be officially dispatched for this mission.

They then got dressed, and Yang fitted Ember Celica onto her forearms – she only ever really felt truly complete with them in place.

The same was true for all of them; Weiss needed Myrtenaster's length at her hip, Blake needed Gambol Shroud's weight on her back, and Ruby needed Crescent Rose's presence at her side.

Ruby dug out her scroll and called her boss, one of many men who organized hunts, as well as the man she received her paychecks from. She had called him last night as well in order to inform him that her team would take the Bone Weavers job. In return, he had sent out orders for an Air Ship to pick the four of them up this morning to take them to their destination.

In the meantime, Yang called Blake and then Weiss to ensure they were awake.

"Of course I'm awake!" Weiss snapped at her. "I'm not an amateur, you know. I know how to prepare myself for-"

"Okay great cool see ya soon bye!" Yang babbled before promptly hanging up on her.

Ruby laughed at the time, but winced when they met up with Weiss in person near the Air Ship docks as she watched her partner yank her sister's ear for having been so rude.

Blake arrived last, convening with the three of them at the docks just as the sun started to peek above the horizon, sending out golden rays into the sky.

"It'll be a sunny day," she observed.

"That's good," Ruby said. "Bone Weavers are pretty strictly nocturnal. They would've been more likely to be active on a cloudier day. Hopefully, we can get in an ambush to start off."

The others nodded.

It was then Weiss cleared her throat, seeking everyone's attention.

"I'll give this to everyone now," she announced. She had a small bag draped over one shoulder, and presently dug into it. First, she pulled out several chambers of Dust and handed them to Blake. "Just like old times," she reminisced. "But these will help you with your clones."

Blake smiled as she accepted the gift – a familiar one, at that.

"Thanks, Weiss."

The heiress nodded before turning to the sisters.

"And this time, I've got something for each of you as well."

She slipped her hand back into her bag before extracting several rounds of bullets. They were multi-colored, ranging from blue to brown to red to yellow, about ten of each.

"Sorry there aren't very many, but these are the newest product I've been working on behind my father's back." Weiss handed half of the bullets to Ruby and the other half to Yang. "These will work with your rifle and these will work with your gauntlets. There's ice, earth, fire, and lightning. I've customized them personally to fit to your weapons."

"Whoa..." Ruby marveled at the bullets before extracting Crescent Rose and putting them into place. "Thanks, Weiss!"

"These are so rad!" Yang agreed, pressing the bullets into her gauntlets.

Weiss shrugged.

"I'm sorry it took me this long to get bullets for the two of you. Blake's were somewhat easier to make, but it wasn't as simple to be storing leftover Dust behind my father's back, and then utilize the blacksmithing at my disposal to-"

"Aw, geez, don't sweat it, princess!" Yang reassured her with a slap on the back, one that left Weiss reeling and sputtering into Ruby's waiting and hyperactive embrace.

"Yeah! These are soooo awesome, Weiss! You're the best!"

The heiress had half a mind to demand being released immediately, but she saved her breath – not that she had much left anyway after that slap to the back. So she merely sighed, her eyes flicking up to find Blake's, and the two of them rolled their eyes as affectionately as the action could be done.

By the time Ruby had let go of the heiress and Weiss had regained her breath, their Air Ship had arrived. A much more serious atmosphere followed them from there-on out.

The Ship took them to Mountain Glenn, to the same abandoned city where Dr. Oobleck had brought them several years ago for their Beacon mission.

Ruby was certain to hand out the little sandwiches and water bottles she and Yang had packed, insisting all of them eat now.

"We can't bring food with us," she explained. "It'll only attract the Grimm to us more than we already would."

By the time they had all finished, the Ship had brought them to the familiar abandoned city, cracked and coated in black dust and moss. They left their bags and unessential items behind before making the jump one by one, free-falling for a moment until their boots landed on the rooftop of a dilapidated building.

Ruby opened her scroll and shared a few final words with her boss.

The four of them had until nightfall to deal with the Bone Weavers. All of them. Disrupting them in the daytime would only serve to enrage them, and make them ravenous by dark.

Ruby wasn't allowed to let a single beast live, or else the Grimm would start creeping toward Vale in the night by means of retaliation.

It was a bit of a daunting task, but not one Ruby feared she would fail. Not with her team at her sides.

She closed her scroll before nodding to the waiting three girls, their same old silent signal to move out.

Together they leapt off the rooftops until they met solid ground.

Judging by the maps Ruby had seen back at her headquarters, they would need to enter a nearby forest to truly begin their hunt.

They only ran for a few minutes, until they were out of the abandoned city that was teeming with other Grimm.

Studies and research in recent years had discovered exactly _why_ the other types of Grimm dwelled within the old city walls. It was because they were intimidated by the Bone Weavers that lived out in the forests.

The giant spiders were feared even amongst their own diabolical species.

Once the four girls had left the city behind, Ruby raised a hand, signaling them all to halt as soon as the trees of the nearby forest were upon them. Her silver eyes looked to Blake, making a silent request.

The Faunus girl nodded and closed her eyes, putting her superior ears to use.

In recent years, she had trained herself enough to enhance her hearing, to truly focus and pinpoint exactly what she needed to find. Her ability was so keen now, she could hear the air passing through each of her teammates' lungs, even when they were all a few yards away from her.

She cast off those sounds and stretched her senses further.

Every rustle of every leaf reached her. Her hearing was so precise she would probably be able to determine how many leaves there were within a ten-mile radius of this forest if she was asked to. She listened to the wind slipping through the branches, making the leaves shake.

This part of the forest sounded just as it should, but she could detect that something was off in another section. It was stifled somehow, as though it was muted when she _knew_ there was supposed to be sound.

It was so unnatural it was even irritating to her, and Blake's ears swiveled in that direction before going flat. She grimaced as she reopened her eyes to find curious faces looking back at her.

"North from here," she directed them. "The wind's not blowing in that part of the forest like it should be. It's definitely unnatural."

That was all she needed to say; the others understood.

They set out as per Blake's directions and Ruby's orders, hands hovering and at the ready to draw their weapons if necessary. They walked through the trees, keeping close together with Ruby at the head of the group and Blake just behind her. Weiss and Yang kept lookout to each respective side as well as behind them all.

The forest was lit with sunrise, and it was lush due to its rarely being touched by human or Faunus. Squirrels and birds darted over tree trunks and branches, chirping to one another as they flitted about.

It was almost strange; the threat of the Bone Weavers had chased off other Grimm, which left this part of the forest untainted by their presence.

None of the girls could really remember the last time they'd been able to walk through a forest and not have to worry about being ambushed.

Such was the case – at least for now.

They enjoyed such a privilege for awhile until the golden rays of the sunrise has faded into less bright shades, the yellow glow slowly dissipating from the surrounding forest. It had been about an hour since they'd started walking, keeping quiet aside from necessary comments or warnings.

It was then when Ruby paused them for a moment.

"Hey guys. I think we're getting close now, so be ready."

Blake nodded right away and Ruby looked back to her.

"Blake, do you hear anything?"

"No. But it's what I'm __not__ hearing that's worrying me." Her ears twitched and swiveled, straining for any noise at all. "Before there were sounds, but now... No birds. No small prey animals chattering. And… even the leaves in the trees are silent now."

The rest of them took the moment to realize she was right. Everything was eerily silent here. It made the soft crunching of leaves beneath their boots sound almost too loud.

Ruby swallowed and nodded with understanding, trying to maintain her composure. Weiss' left hand braced over Myrtenaster's hilt, and Yang squeezed her fists, clearly ready for the action that was bound to come.

They walked for a while longer, all of them painfully aware of the sudden, disconcerting silence that rubbed them all the wrong way.

Of the four of them, it was Weiss who suddenly paused as something caught her eye. She grabbed the nearest person who happened to be Yang, just to get them all to halt. Weiss never tore her eyes from the foreign object as she muttered to the rest of them.

"Look..."

Cautiously, the heiress took a few steps forward, and the others followed suit. They stopped when they reached it, but didn't know how to react.

It appeared to be a white boulder at first glance, but when she looked harder, Weiss could tell it wasn't so solid. In fact, it looked like clumps of white hair tangled together and woven into a closely-packed bundle.

She glanced at Ruby.

"It's not moving. I'm going to test it. Everyone stand back."

Raising Myrtenaster, Weiss carefully slipped the tip of her rapier into the white object.

As she expected, it gave a bit, making an unsettling squelching sound as she cut through it, pulling the threads apart slowly as she dragged her blade in a straight line. She could tell by the resistance she felt that the substance was sticky and clumped, like seaweed, and an unpleasant smell emitted from inside as she slice through it.

When she finally pulled out her blade, she wished she hadn't.

The white threads of the bundle opened up and sunk to the ground, revealing a gruesome and deformed shape.

Judging by the size of it, it was – or __used__ to be - an Ursa. But now it was shriveled, deflated, as though sucked dry from the inside, crumpled and withering with only the bone mask and some fur remaining, its huge jaws still agape in a terrified roar.

Weiss stepped back and swayed nauseously, only supported by Blake's quick hand on her back. Unable to swallow the bile that rose in her throat, the heiress promptly turned away as she tried to choke it back down.

The others recoiled as well, holding their noses as they retreated several steps.

"God..." Yang mumbled. "These things... they eat _Ursai?_ "

"I..." Ruby shook her head. "I mean, from what we've learned, we knew they ate animals if they wanted to. But until now we... never knew they went after other Grimm, too..."

"This is sick," Blake growled. "It's unnatural. Even for Grimm." She continued to pat Weiss' back until the heiress had recovered from the pungent scent of the carcass filling her lungs. Weiss wiped her eyes and inhaled the fresher air.

"How vile... The sooner we get rid of these things, the better."

Ruby nodded, her eyes wandering upward. She drew in a sharp breath as she looked at the tree leaves once more, and realized that countless spider webs were binding them together in a quiet canopy overhead. The others followed her gaze and noticed as well.

"The whole forest is becoming their nest…" Yang realized suddenly.

Ruby nodded in agreement. She knew that idling too long could allow the spiders to start tracking them.

A grunt from Weiss had them all glancing back down to see silk threads trailing off into the woods. It was a given that if they wanted to find the nest, they'd need to follow them.

"If we walk on the threads or too close to them, it'll give us away," Ruby cautioned. "Let's be extra careful."

Leaving the dead Ursa behind, they followed the trails through the forest, twisting and winding through the trees and undergrowth.

They encountered a few more of the creatures' foul-smelling kills, indicating they were on the right track.

The silence was almost deafening despite the roaring in their ears as they continued to walk, until Blake came to a sudden stop. That caused the rest of them to freeze as well, tension palpable in the air. The Faunus girl let out a slow breath.

"I don't know for sure, but… I think it's nearby."

The others tensed, ready to fight.

A minute later, Ruby came to a sudden halt, so sharply that Blake bumped into her back and caused a chain reaction for the rest of them. Weiss hissed as she rubbed her nose where she'd hit it on Yang's shoulder.

"Ruby, what-"

But she cut off once she followed her leader's gaze.

Once again, the four of them looked upward, to the tangles of thick, white webs that congested the treetops in messy, sticky bundles.

But they weren't empty this time.

Dozens of corpses of various other Grimm and animals dangled within these webs. Some were visible past the silk bindings and still had chunks of flesh on them, while others had deteriorated and left behind nothing but silently screaming skeletons. Bones clinked and rattled together like ominous wind chimes. It was a hollow sound - utterly terrifying - truly the stuff of nightmares.

But fear would do them no good, and they all knew that far too well. They had no choice but to continue onward.

Their steps were quieter now, and they had to move much more cautiously to avoid the threads on the ground – one misstep, and they'd alert the spiders.

None of them spoke anymore, nor did they breathe any louder than was necessary. Though each girl shared similar uncertainties about the loudness of their heartbeats, wondering if they were audible.

The webs blocked out the sunlight now, darkening the forest to gray, the shadows of hovering victims shrouding the girls' vision even more.

Again, they were forced to rely on Blake to lead the way, following precisely in her footsteps as to not disrupt the threads.

And then, they saw them.

Dozens of them.

Giant, circular black bodies curled up within the treetops, marked with red lines all along their backs, their heads covered by white bone masks. Eight piercing, slender legs wrapped around each body, stilled in temporary slumber.

Ruby could surmise there were about as many as they'd been told to expect – about one hundred. The spiders had crawled up from within the earth and now were starting to claim the surface world as their own.

The huntsmen had only gotten reports of the spiders revealing themselves about three days ago, and already they had claimed half this forest and its inhabitants.

And it wouldn't be much longer now before they started heading toward Vale.

It was up the Ruby and her team to stop this before it got any worse.

With a raised hand, the brunette encouraged the rest of them forward. They kept behind the nearest tree, hidden from view of the Grimm for now. The leader kept her voice low and hushed as she met all of their gazes.

"Alright. The element of surprise is on our side," she mumbled. "So we've got to use that to our advantage as much as possible. We need to take out as many as we can on the first attack..."

She began giving orders or taking suggestions of ideas from each of them. When they'd finally devised a plan, they straightened up.

"Let's do this," Ruby said.

They all nodded.

But before they could break apart, Yang pulled them all into a tight group hug, just like old times. She kissed all of their foreheads, and they all were still for a brief instance, savoring one another's warmth.

At last, they split up and took off to complete their respective tasks.

They were depending mainly on Weiss for their initial attack.

The heiress treaded carefully along the forest floor as she sprinkled down bottle after bottle of Dust. She surrounded every tree root with it, keeping it all stable and under control for the moment.

The others kept watch to ensure none of the beasts woke, and once Weiss was finished with her task, she gave a signal.

Once she was certain her companions were all a good distance away from any of the Dust, she called upon her semblance and formed several dozen small shards of ice out of the moisture in the air. With a wave of her hand and expert precision, she sent the tiny crystals flying in all directions, all silently landing on the circles of Dust.

There was a heartbeat of absolute silence.

And then, all was chaos.

The ice shards ignited the Dust particles and caused explosive reactions.

Some of the trees were instantly searing with flames, others shot through by bolts of lightning, and other still frozen over in ice. The bark burned and sizzled all the way to the tops, rousing the Weavers within seconds. Their stark-white bone masks lit up with eight red eyes each as they started to drop down from their webs.

Many of them fell victim to Weiss' Dust instantly, either legs catching flame or entire bodies being frozen over before the sheer weight of their bulk brought them plummeting to the ground to shatter.

The beasts let out a collective screech of sorts, induced by rage as they dropped down from their threads and scuttled at insane speeds toward the group of waiting huntresses.

Weiss' tactics had taken out about twenty of the creatures from the initial attack alone.

But that still left about eighty giant spiders rushing toward them now.

The girls drew their weapons and leapt into the fray.

Fighting so many Bone Weavers like this wasn't as simple as fighting the more common Beowolves and Ursai. They were _used_ to those kind of monsters.

But this was the first time any of them had even engaged the spiders, especially in such mass numbers.

They all quickly discovered that the webs - if not the Grimm themselves - were flame-retardant. The only element that could void them was ice that would coat the sticky threads over and render them useless and too heavy for the spiders to shoot or recoil.

Which was why Weiss put all of her energy into making the webs unusable, casting ice left and right to intercept the spiders' threads in midair before they could make contact with her teammates.

The rest of them set to work on attacking the Grimm directly, knowing they could leave Weiss to cover their backs.

Ruby had updated Crescent Rose many times over the years, extending the scythe's reach by a few feet as well as having made it lighter. She hooked the nearest spider in the curve of her weapon, but the exoskeleton was surprisingly tough. Two long legs reached out toward her, and with a shriek, she poured her strength into cleaving the beast in half.

Still, it had taken a bit more effort than she'd thought it should have.

Jumping back, she shot one of Weiss' fire bullets into the next spider's face, whipping around to slice at another's body.

Blake attacked the same one from the back, sawing off its back legs with her katana as Ruby sliced the front ones. The body crumpled limply to the ground and began to deteriorate.

"That's it!" Ruby called out. "Go for the legs!"

It was a bit easier said than done, as the beasts were fast-moving and difficult to aim at. Their fangs dripped with venom, and if they weren't spewing that, they were shooting webs or stabbing at the girls with their legs.

Yang didn't have the blades that Ruby or Blake did, so she stuck close to Weiss and shared her job, aiming ice bullets at the webs the monsters shot out. But when a spider got too close for comfort, Yang let out a loud curse.

"Ew, get the _fuck_ away from me!"

With a lunge, the blonde darted between the slashing legs and grabbed two in each hand. With her brute strength, she snapped its legs and dropped the spider to the ground before pummeling it into a fiery oblivion.

The others couldn't really blame her. Being caught in the webs meant being immobilized long enough for one of the monsters to sink their fangs in and pump in a gallon of lethal poison.

They all covered one another's backs and blindsides, ensuring none of their friends were at risk or in that kind of peril at any given time.

Yang fired her ice bullets at the webs that were shot at them in order to freeze the silk and weigh it down. The fire bullets were aimed directly into the creatures' mouths to ignite and explode them from the inside.

Blake utilized the Dust Weiss had given her and left behind dozens of clones. The ones made of ice froze the Weavers' legs in them, allowing Blake to kill the immobilized spiders. The clones of fire ripped flames over the beasts' bodies until they were nothing but charred flesh. And the clones of rock were tough enough to break off the deadly fangs when they attempted to bite in.

Weiss utilized her glyphs to leap up into the treetops and prevent aerial attacks, either cutting the monsters down as they tried to drop in ambush, or shielding her teammates with a barrier of repulsion glyphs.

Ruby followed through on her own orders and stuck to aiming for the beasts' legs, slicing off the appendages before they could have the time to stab at the huntresses.

The spiders screeched in rage and in agony as their lives were cut short.

The beginning of the fight had been in the huntresses' favor due to their ambush.

But as things progressed, it was getting more difficult for the girls to move.

Dissolving corpses of the spiders littered the ground, making the execution of smooth, clean motions next to impossible. Jumping wasn't easy either, as more threads had been shot down from the remaining trees.

Blake stumbled on the ground at the same time Weiss got her arm snagged in midair.

The sisters rushed to their respective partners as quickly as possible.

Yang ducked down to scoop Blake into her arms, just beyond the fangs of a Weaver, tumbling with her to a safe patch of grass where they could take a second to regain their breath and balance.

Ruby leapt high into the air to aid Weiss, but was intercepted by another spider and was consequently forced to deal with it.

Weiss could only wait for assistance. It was agonizing being suspended and useless in midair like that, waiting for certain death. She knew it was best not to struggle, less she become even more ensnared.

Instead, she called off the glyph she'd been hovering on and let herself drop to the forest floor below. Her fall stretched the web attached to her, making it thinner and weaker. When at last Ruby had finished the spider, she swung Crescent Rose and freed the heiress with minimal effort.

"Thanks," Weiss gasped.

Ruby nodded swiftly and gave her a charismatic smile before diving back into the battle.

It was an exhausting fight to say the very least.

But after what seemed to be eons of vicious slaughter, the four huntresses emerged victorious.

They stood amongst the mass of corpses, twisted bodies and snapped legs, shredded webs and sprinkled Dust all around them.

Weiss took the liberty upon herself to freeze over whatever fires remained as the group reconvened. Yang meandered over to Ruby and Weiss with Blake at her side, kicking the Weavers' bodies out of her path as she walked.

"God..." she growled. "These things are fucking _nasty!_ "

"Is everyone alright?" Blake wondered, casting a curious gaze around to all of them. Her own arm was bleeding a bit, as was Weiss' hip, and Ruby had a few minor scratches here and there.

"Nothin' too bad!" the brunette reported. "Nobody got bitten, so that's a relief. Our auras can fix these injuries up in a jiffy!"

"Hey, I actually didn't get hurt too bad this time!" Yang said proudly, puffing out her chest. "Heh, guess I'm- whoa!"

Clearly she'd spoken too soon.

Her next step was onto a spider's thread, and she slipped, falling backward and hitting her head against a chunk of frozen webs. She howled colorful curses of pain as Ruby held back a chuckle. Weiss slapped a palm to her face with a sigh. Blake chuckled too, then knelt down quickly to start untangling her partner.

"Are you alright?"

"Yeah..." the blonde huffed. "Goddamn fuckin' spiders. Give me the heebie jeebies. Let's just get out of here..."

Easier said than done.

Before Yang could even find the strength to stand, the dead threads Blake had torn off her partner's ankle were suddenly replaced by fresh ones. They clung to Yang's leg like glue, and in just seconds, they'd stretched out to snare Blake as well. Yang sat up quickly and tried to tug herself free.

"What the-"

Yang screamed as she was suddenly and rapidly dragged off through the forest by the live threads, being tugged by some unseen force.

In a shocked panic, Blake tossed Gambol Shroud into the area beyond where Yang had been taken, and tried to pull when she got it stuck in something. But her feet dragged as her weight followed after Yang, and she gave a startled cry as she too was dragged out of sight, vanished with no trace other than a short cry.

It had only been a few seconds.

Before Ruby or Weiss could even hope to draw their weapons again, they'd suddenly found themselves alone in the clearing.

Weiss swayed a step back, bumping into Ruby as her wide eyes stared hollowly into the shadowed space where their companions had just disappeared.

"Wh-What-" she stammered. "Ruby, what _was_ that?"

The brunette swallowed thickly.

"Dead threads are from dead Weavers, s-so live threads..."

She didn't need to finish her sentence. Weiss seemed to understand.

They'd succeeded in killing the hoard, but now they needed to face the angry queen.

Weiss swallowed and gave a shudder, but Ruby stepped up beside her, putting a steadying hand to her back. The older girl cast her a weary look.

"We shouldn't waste time. Let's follow after them."

"Right. But I think going on foot might take more time than Yang and Blake can afford so..."

Ruby stepped up to the live web and held Weiss' gaze compellingly. The white-haired girl heaved a sigh but stepped forward with her. Ruby wrapped an arm around her shoulders tightly, and Weiss clung to her partner's hip.

Together, they pressed their boots down onto the web.

Instantly, the thick, sticky substance coiled around their ankles and pulled with more than enough force to take down a Goliath Grimm. The two girls fell roughly onto their backs, crashing down in unison and losing their breath as the web dragged them through the forest, swerving around trees and through brambles, battering them. Ruby closed her eyes and shielded Weiss as best she could with her cloak.

The torturous ride lasted an entire minute before they finally came to a stop.

For a moment, Ruby didn't dare to move.

She could sense now that wherever they were had no sunlight surrounding them, and it was deathly quiet. She squeezed Weiss tightly, silently telling her not to move either. There was a pulse hammering in her chest and she couldn't discern if it was Weiss' or her own – probably both.

After a moment of clipped breathing from the two of them, Ruby slowly relinquished her hold on Weiss and opened her eyes, removing her cloak from over the two of them and pushing herself off of her partner.

Weiss didn't make a sound as she sat up, eyes flicking around in the darkness, hand groping for the hilt of her rapier.

They appeared to be in a giant cave of sorts, and there was only limited lighting, only enough to see a few inches in front of oneself.

Sounds of sudden movement had them both freezing, hands bracing over weapons. But it wasn't the sound of a beast that reached their ears.

"Ruby? Weiss?"

"Blake?" Ruby gasped softly, crawling forward to meet the Faunus girl. "Oh, thank god. Where's Yang?"

"Here!" her sister's voice called from just a few feet away.

"You guys alright?"

"Bit of a headache," Yang grunted. "But for the most part, yeah."

Blake's ears flicked in the shadows.

"I can't hear anything. Nothing's moving but... something's definitely here."

"This is its cave," Ruby muttered. "It's probably covered in webs. Weavers are nocturnal, so its better for _it_ that it's dark in here. We need to make some light."

"On it." With a swift nod, her sister bumped her knuckles together. But before she could actually start a fire, Weiss slid next to her and grabbed her hands.

"No, you oaf!" she snapped. "Do you want to burn us all alive? We need to use Dust to contain the flames."

"Oh, right."

The two worked together for a moment in sprinkling Dust in a wide circle before Yang brushed the sparks onto it. Immediately, the cold, damp cave was lit up with an orange glow, allowing them to look several yards ahead rather than just a few inches.

Ruby could tell that the cave wasn't as big as she'd initially thought, probably only about the size of one of the lecture halls back at Beacon. She could see the rock walls, coated in webs and several carcasses, bones littering the ground. There was a tunnel of sorts which she presumed to be the way out - and also how they'd all been dragged in here.

But no spider.

"Where is it...?" she growled.

The rest of them looked around as well, but couldn't locate the beast.

"It has to be here," Weiss breathed. "I mean, it dragged us back from this spot so..."

A sharp gasp from Blake had them all stiffening and turning to her. The Faunus girl's ears perked tall, and seconds later she was pouncing on Yang and Weiss to bowl them over.

"Above!" she cried, pushing the others out of the way.

A deafening screech filled the air at that exact second as a flurry of motion ripped through the cave. Ruby's speed was all that saved her from being crushed to death by the massive body that dropped down from the ceiling.

The drone Weavers had only been about the sizes of horses, but this one...

This one must have been as large as two Goliath mammoths combined.

And that was just the body.

The long, thin legs stretched out at least ten feet each, elevating the grotesque monster high above the huntresses.

Its body was pitch black, save from the bone mask and the burning red markings. Eight beady eyes lined the sides of its head, and two fangs the sizes of small swords revealed themselves.

The giant spider screeched again and lifted a leg, intent to pierce through the nearest target – Blake.

With a burst of speed, Ruby managed to tackle her out of harm's way – at least for the moment. The spot where she'd been just seconds before was impaled by a spear-like leg that cracked the earth below.

"Holy shit!" Yang screeched, scrambling to her feet and hauling Weiss up beside her. "That thing's fuckin' _huge!_ "

"Brilliant deduction!" Weiss snapped, drawing her rapier.

Yang readied her gauntlets and took aim at the beast, firing a round of flames directly into its face.

But unlike the other Weavers, this one wasn't fazed by it.

With another screech, it charged the four of them with breakneck speed.

Ruby kept an arm around Blake as she darted out of the way, and Weiss used a glyph to save Yang and herself.

As the spider ran past them, they all took swings at its legs. Blake leapt onto its back and stabbed with her katana, and Ruby sliced at its hindquarters with her scythe. But she could instantly tell something was off.

With a grunt of frustration, Blake leapt off its back as it scuttled up along the walls.

"I can't cut it!" she reported.

"Me neither!" Ruby shared a puzzled look with the Faunus girl.

"And it won't burn," Yang growled.

"Then let me try freezing it," Weiss offered. "But I need it to be on solid ground for that."

"Shouldn't be long for that," Ruby warned.

She looked up, using the light of the fire they'd made to see by. She could make out the massive spider running along the canopy of webs overhead before it went still, likely preparing a strike. She nodded to its location so the others could be ready.

There was a moment of silence, the only sounds being the crackling of the flames and their own labored breathing.

And then the Weaver screeched again dropping down to the ground before charging at them full speed.

Weiss immediately cast her ice in front of it, but the sheer brute force of the creature's moving body weight shattered it. Weiss cursed and used glyphs to send each of her teammates out in different directions so they may attack the spider from all angles.

But another wave of thread shot out from the fanged mouth, and Yang was caught in the tangle.

Before the spider could rush over to sink its fangs in, Ruby shot a flame bullet at one of its eyes to gain its attention. Weiss steered it away from the helpless blonde as Blake set to work on cutting her free.

"You okay?"

" _UGH!_ " Yang spat spitefully. "I'm gonna destroy that fuckin' thing! My hair's _ruined!_ " Her semblance flared and a yellow glow appeared around her. Blake wanted to tell her that the webs in her hair had already been melted, but she kept her mouth shut to better fuel Yang's fury.

Helping her partner up, she then dashed back into the battle to assist the others.

Ruby was swinging Crescent Rose at the spider's legs as Weiss used her Air Step to soar above it, stabbing at its eyes.

But before Ruby could even make contact with its legs, the spider turned on her and swatted her away, sending her across the cave with a hit that left her breathless. Weiss abandoned what she was doing to race after her, putting herself behind her partner to catch her.

The impact sent them both crashing against the wall, though Weiss sustained the brunt of the rocks against her back. Ruby slumped to the ground and shook her head, but now Weiss was the one who was short on breath. Ruby cut her free of the webs and supported her as she gasped for air.

But the incident just now had proven the theory she'd had.

"The legs!" Ruby shouted. "That's the only way we can beat it!"

The others heard her clearly and focused their attacks on the eight massive spears.

Yang slid beneath the creature's belly and punched it from underneath, sending flames up to where its legs connected to its body. The spider roared and stabbed at her, but Blake's sword sliced the air to keep it at bay. She managed to cut through one of the legs, leaving only half of it left.

That only enraged the beast more, however, and it pounced on the two girls, driving its legs into the earth repeatedly in an effort to impale them. Blake screamed as her arm was slashed.

In a rage, Yang braced her back against the ground and kicked upward with both feet. The force of her motion met the tip of the spider's nearest raised leg, and instead of piercing through her feet, the empowered kick sent a ripple through the spider, effectively crumpling that leg, leaving it to stand on only six.

Yang scooped Blake up as the spider screeched again, dragging her a few feet away to inspect her wound and pour some of her own aura onto it.

By then, Weiss had regained her breath enough to move, and together with Ruby they shot forward.

The Weaver swung at them again, spewing more webs as it did so. Ruby got caught in the threads and was pinned to the ground, but Weiss cast a repulsion glyph above her partner to keep Ruby safe from any more danger for the moment.

The heiress leapt up above the beast and formed a large chunk of ice in midair, shaping it like a spear before bringing it down. It missed piercing the spider's back, but managed to cleave off two of its legs, leaving it with only three on its left side and two on its right that could be used.

From there, the fight was in their favor.

Yang pulled Ruby free and the sisters charged forward together to finish the beast off.

Yang grabbed one of its legs and gave a mighty tug, snapping it in half before tearing it off completely. Ruby cut off its good legs right where they connected to its body, cleaving her scythe in a curved motion to lop them off.

Weiss retreated back to Blake and helped finish healing her wound just as the Bone Weaver collapsed to the ground, unable to move.

The sisters jumped back, as the body was still twitching and writhing, but it would die soon enough on its own.

Ruby skidded to a halt beside the others, her eyes flashing over all of them.

"Everyone okay?"

"We'll manage," Weiss reported. Her back was sore and throbbing, and Blake's arm was still stinging a bit, but the bleeding had stopped.

By some miracle, they'd all managed to avoid being bitten, and that was the greatest accomplishment. Yang only sported a headache after she'd hit her head on the ice previously.

Once Weiss had finished healing Blake, she went to the brawler and rubbed her head gently.

"Shit..." Yang hissed.

"Oh, hush, you big baby." Weiss emitted a cool flow of aura onto her, and Yang sighed as the pain was temporarily stifled.

As Weiss healed her sister, Ruby put a hand to her partner's back, between Weiss' shoulder blades where she'd been thrust against the wall earlier, and shared her aura as well.

They spent the moment to heal one another and themselves before letting out a collective sigh.

"Well," Ruby grinned. "We did it. And we all made it out in one piece!"

"Good," Weiss huffed. "Now let's get back home. I feel disgusting."

Blake flashed a glance back to the spider's body.

"Shouldn't we make sure it's dead first?"

"I'm sure it is," Yang reassured. "If it's not, it can't exactly move to catch food anymore, so it'll die soon enough."

"Still..." Ruby mumbled. "It'd be mean to make it suffer, even if it's a Grimm. I'll finish it off."

The others were almost surprised by what they were hearing, but reminded themselves this _was_ Ruby Rose, after all. She could never intentionally be mean to _anything_ even if she tried to be.

Still, the three of them kept watch cautiously as the younger girl approached the dying monster. Its remaining eyes rolled over to look at Ruby as she raised her scythe.

Without a word, she brought her weapon down and slashed the Weaver across the face, right down the middle.

The body stopped writhing and began to disintegrate, and the cave grew silent.

With a sigh, Ruby turned her back and headed to her teammates once more.

But a new sound caused her to freeze in her tracks.

It was a voice, but certainly not a human one, deep and gurgling and echoing.

" _Red Huntress..._ " it uttered. " _You have slain me and my clan._ "

Ruby whipped around to face the spider's skeleton. Weiss, Blake, and Yang rushed up to shield her, fearing something would try and harm Ruby by means of revenge.

But nothing of the sort happened.

The voice continued:

" _For accomplishing such an outlandish feat... I am willing to grant you one wish_."

Blue, golden, and lavender eyes went wide as they all slowly turned back to find silver.

Ruby swallowed, her lips parting as a thin voice escaped her lips.

"One... wish...?"

* * *

 **A/N: Mhmm, well there you have it. Do with that what you will. Next chapter is the last!**

 **Please support me on as Kiria Alice if you like my work!**

 **Please review!**


	3. Chapter 3

**A lot of you had guesses as to what this wish might be, but it isn't as most of you were thinking. From the beginning, I've been saying how the lesson/message of this story is a bit different from others, so I hope you understand it.**

 **Please keep in mind the inspiration song.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.**

* * *

Chapter 3.

Ruby couldn't be quite certain about what she'd heard.

That androgynous, guttural voice had gone silent for the moment, and yet it still echoed in her ears.

"One wish...?" she said again, still disbelieving. Her eyes flashed around to meet her teammates' gazes to silently consult them about their thoughts on the matter.

Weiss' expression was dubious, her blue eyes narrowed and lips pursed in a firm, unwavering line.

Blake's countenance was much the same, and her ears were flat. She gave Ruby the tiniest shake of her head.

Yang was clearly suspicious as well, and she was the one who addressed the Weaver next.

"What the hell kinda crap are you spewing?" she growled. "You tryin' to trick us? How the hell could you grant wishes, huh? I've never heard of a Grimm that could do that."

There was a moment of silence as the spider's body continued to slowly disintegrate. The beast's voice made a sighing sound before forming coherent words once more.

" _We are not like other Grimm,_ " it uttered. " _You've managed to slaughter my entire clan, including myself. I was their ruler for centuries. But the second we breached the surface and revealed ourselves to humans, our clocks were already ticking and running out of time._

 _"I trust you know by now that not all Grimm are after human blood, and while that might not have been the case with my kind, it's not impossible for me to grant a reward for such a feat as wiping out an entire hoard in just a few hours._ "

The four girls exchanged looks once again, but all still looked skeptical.

It was Weiss who stepped forward next to speak.

"Even if we should believe what you say is the truth, how can we be certain you won't twist the words of whatever wish we might make and manipulate us?"

It was a valid question, and the other three stiffened at the thought of that even having been a possibility.

Weiss' gaze was stern and hard as she glared through the flickering darkness at the body of the beast. Its voice grunted again.

" _White Huntress_ ," it chuckled. " _Believe me when I tell you that I was a beast who enjoyed the spectacle of watching my prey squirm and struggle before perishing. But now, thanks to you four, my time is up. Whatever wish you could possibly ask of me, I won't live long enough to see it fulfilled. So I gain nothing from lying to you or twisting your words. If I'd been alive to see it, I might've done just that, but as things are now, that won't be an option. It wouldn't be worth it if I missed the fun parts._ "

Weiss let out a small growl and turned back to Ruby.

"I don't like this. Let's just get out of here. We don't need some wish-"

But she stopped herself, her jaw hanging open slightly as she realized something.

Perhaps she told herself that _she_ didn't need this wish, but... but maybe Ruby did.

Or at least, she _thought_ she did.

Promptly, Weiss grabbed the girl's shoulders and bore her own gaze into silver.

"Ruby, whatever it is you plan on asking for, just _please_ -" Her voice cracked and she swallowed, inhaling shakily before continuing. "Please don't... ask for Sum-"

"Weiss..." Ruby lifted her hands and placed them gently on her partner's wrists. Her lips curved up into a small, sad smile. "I'd... be lying if I said that wasn't my first thought... but I know I can't do that. My mom's gone and I accepted that a long, long time ago. It wouldn't be right to ask for her back. I don't think fate would like that."

She chuckled softly, but Weiss could see the pain in her eyes, the burden that the prospect of getting Summer back had weighted on her heart. Weiss felt the girl's shoulders tremble as Ruby released a small sigh.

But the heiress was just glad Ruby understood. She pulled the younger girl in to her chest, wrapping her in a soft embrace that needed no words.

Yang watched the scene with a nod of approval – whatever she'd been wanting to say to Ruby, Weiss had just done it with much more composure.

The blonde turned to look at the Faunus girl beside her and made a small request of her.

"Can you tell if this guy's lying?"

Blake flicked her ears and they swiveled forward once more.

"I think so."

Yang nodded.

"Alright then." She then raised her voice to address the dying spider. "I want you to make that offer again so we can tell if it's legit."

The spider let out a weary laugh of sorts.

" _Very well. I have offered to grant you one wish. The magics this body possesses will keep me alive until they are spent, but my body has already perished. It would defy the laws of nature for a beast – even a Grimm – to linger after death. Therefore, I offer to use my magics to grant those who have slain me a single wish._ "

The entire time, Blake listened with her eyes closed and ears perked. She caught every word the spider said easily. Its tone never faltered or hesitated and remained at a constant volume all the while.

There were no traces of a lie that she could decipher.

Reopening her eyes, she found Yang's curious lavender pools gazing back.

"It seems genuine," Blake reported. "I can only hope it's not a good liar."

" _As I stated,_ " the beast rumbled. " _I cannot perish until the magics I've withheld inside of my body are released. With my clan dead and body no more, there isn't reason for me to linger in this world. Your making this wish benefits both parties._ "

Yang looked to the spider and then to Blake again. The Faunus girl gave one simple nod to affirm the creature was being truthful. Biting her lip, Yang looked back to the others.

Weiss and Ruby had parted, though the heiress kept a steadying hand on her partner's back. Ruby had heard it all when Blake had confirmed the Weaver's offer being genuine. When she addressed the spider next, it was with a childish chuckle.

"Guess I can't wish for more wishes, huh?"

The spider grunted in agreement.

" _Were you to do so, my magics would bestow upon me the ability to grant more wishes. But as soon as that first wish was fulfilled, I would perish, and there would be no one left to fulfill the ability of granting more. Wishing for more would be a wasted opportunity, but perhaps the safest bet if you distrust me._ "

"No," Ruby said. "I trust you."

A sweeping look to her teammates suggested they weren't as convinced as she was, but once Ruby had set her heart on something, she was going for it.

But she didn't want to be selfish with this.

Turning to her companions, she met each of their gazes.

"Is there... anything you guys need from this? I mean, I'm sure there is, but... is there anything you _really need?_ "

When she offered, the others couldn't help but consider. A moment passed where each of them pondered.

They all had regrets.

They all had braved events in their lives that had been less-than-favorable.

They all had suffered – perhaps more than what they deserved.

They all had burdens to bear and secrets to keep.

They all had things they could never hope to change until now.

And yet... they didn't _need_ to change those things.

Everything in their lives up until this point – the good and bad times alike – had shaped them into who they were now. Changing the past might drastically alter who they were now, and they voiced as much to Ruby, declaring how the risk wasn't worth it, even should a dark part of their pasts cease to exist.

"I love who I am now," Blake said. "I don't want that to be altered."

"Same here, sis," Yang agreed. "Changing the past or bringing back people we lost will only jeopardize what we have now. But I like what we have now."

"Therefore," Weiss picked up on the discourse. "Whatever wish we decide on, I think we can all agree that it shouldn't be something that could potentially endanger or alter the past."

"Right," Ruby nodded. "So that also limits us about changing the future. Because we'd need to alter events of the past in order to change the future we'll soon know. We can't wish to wipe out Grimm or anything like that. 'Cause then we'd all never have had a reason to become huntresses and meet one another.

"I think a wish that would risk changing the past or the future is off the table. So that just leaves one thing..."

The others looked to her curiously, and Ruby smiled.

"The present," she clarified.

She'd already thought of the wish she'd wanted to make and thought it through ten times over, then an eleventh time just to be safe.

It could work.

And the others could see in her gaze that she had come to a decision, and that she was set on it – mind, body, and soul.

Weiss exhaled a shaky breath, but she trusted her partner and leader of seven years. With a light pat to the girl's back, she sent Ruby forward toward the Weaver.

But Yang couldn't keep her voice down.

"Ruby-" she all but whimpered. "I-I don't know. I don't think-"

"Yang..." It was Blake who cajoled her with a gentle hand to her arm, rubbing softly. "I know she'll always be your baby sister, but she's not a kid anymore. She knows what she's doing. Trust her."

The blonde trembled, clinging to her partner for support, but she said nothing more, her eyes trained on her sister as she approached the spider's skeleton.

" _Have you come to a decision, Red Huntress?_ "

"Yes." Ruby's chin was held high, her eyes narrowed and focused, voice firm. "I want us-" She turned back and indicated her teammates, and then herself. "To be able to start over."

Silence ensued yet again. Her teammates were nervous with confusion, but opted to hold tightly to their trust in Ruby.

The Weaver grumbled.

" _Elaborate_."

Ruby nodded.

"I don't mean start over as a team, or even as friends. I don't want to change our pasts together or risk our futures. I just want to enjoy the moment," she stated.

"So that's why I want to start over. Just for a day. I want to go back to a time when we didn't have all of these responsibilities. I want to go back to a time when we didn't have to worry about things. A time when we could live freely and without a care in the world. I want to have that. Just for a day."

Another moment of silence.

Another moment to digest her words.

The spider hummed.

" _I see. So you wish not to alter your individual set pasts twenty-odd years ago, but to take the present day and rewind._ "

"In body, not mind," Ruby affirmed. "If our minds forgot everything we're doing now, it would be the same as giving up the present and redoing the past, and I don't want that."

" _You merely want a day to be children again, and after that day has run its course, you want to be returned to this present life._ "

"Is that possible?" Ruby asked.

The Weaver grumbled again.

" _Dear Huntress. There is only one way to find out. Is this your wish?_ "

Ruby looked back to her team, wide-eyed with shock, and gave a charismatic smirk.

"Yes."

Without another word, the cave began to quiver.

The air suddenly shifted around her, and Ruby could feel it. She envisioned what she wanted to happen in order to fulfill her wish, to better assist the magics in making it a reality.

She heard the gasps of her companions, but Ruby merely closed her eyes, silently reassuring them that all would be well.

For a moment, it felt as though she were spiraling, spinning on the merry-go-round she'd once loved so dearly to ride on when her mother had taken her to the carnival in her youngest years.

And then all was still.

. .

.

. .

Even before Ruby opened her eyes, she could tell where she was.

She'd envisioned this place, after all. She'd been the one to guide the magics into creating it.

Her memories were all intact, and she knew full-well that she was no longer inside that dark, dank cave that smelled of death. No...

It was warm here, and past the shields of her eyelids, she could determine that it was bright as well, and the ground beneath her body was soft.

She could also feel something else. Or rather... _not_ feel.

There was no weight on her hip – Crescent Rose was gone.

But that meant she didn't _need_ it where she was right now.

And that meant her wish had been granted.

Slowly, she blinked open her eyes and found herself in a replica of the place she'd imagined back in the Bone Weaver's cave.

It was a lush green field decorated with various vibrant flowers. There were a few trees dotted here and there, and even a large pond in the distance down a hill. To the side was the rest of the park, and behind her was a small town – Vale.

But it wasn't the same Vale she'd left behind earlier that morning.

The best way to describe this world would be an alternate universe. But it would only last for twenty-four hours.

When Ruby sat up, she noticed her scythe really was gone, her clothes altered to fit her smaller body. She was a kid once more, probably about eight years old.

And she wasn't alone here.

Sounds of movement and little gasps from her left caused her to turn her head.

They were there, too – all three of them – miniature versions of the teammates she'd come to know and love.

Yang was the most familiar to her, as Ruby had been with her in all the years she could remember. She'd seen Yang as her ten-year-old self in reality, and even now she appeared to be exactly the same as she had been thirteen years ago. Her blonde hair only reached the middle of her back now, and her lavender eyes were ridden with confusion as she looked herself over.

"Wh-What the-"

But when her eyes looked up to meet silver, Yang understood.

Ruby smiled and nodded, crawling a bit closer to her.

Together, they looked up as Blake and Weiss roused themselves from the grass as well.

Blake's hair was a bit shorter as well, and she wore a bandana around her upper left arm. Her Faunus ears were exposed and very small, but her eyes were still that beautiful golden color.

Weiss' hair was in its usual ponytail, her white dress a bit long on her. Her left cheek was still scarred, but again, the dazzling blue of her eyes out-shined all else.

The two girls first looked to one another, then to the two sisters present.

"Ruby..." Weiss murmured, and her voice was a bit higher-pitched than what her mature tone at the age of twenty-three was.

Blake's voice was a bit more childish as well.

"Is this... your wish?" she wondered.

Those words proved to Ruby that her wish had indeed been granted without any tricks. They all still retained their memories of their current, real lives.

But their bodies had rewound thirteen years.

They'd been placed in a world without danger.

They had no responsibilities to uphold, no battles to fight, no pasts to regret.

They were free.

It was nothing short of surreal. Had they all not heard the Grimm's words for themselves, they might've considered themselves insane.

There was still confusion clear in all of their expressions – the inability to fully comprehend that this had truly happened. They all kept looking around themselves in this newly-forged world, created solely for the purpose of granting Ruby's wish.

There were other people here too, walking their dogs or eating ice cream or fishing in the pond. It was certainly real enough to fool them.

Ruby wasn't quite sure if their actual bodies had been left behind in the cave and they were all simply dreaming in some kind of virtual reality of sorts, or if they had actually been physically altered and sent to another universe.

Either way, their experience here was certain to be real, and not something they would simply forget.

After a few minutes of silent bafflement, Ruby pushed herself up to her feet, picking off blades of grass from her skirt. She offered her hand to Weiss and pulled her up as well, and Yang did the same for Blake.

The Faunus girl was clearly the most unsettled of them all. But it was less because of the very-nearly magical, logic-defying journey they had gone through to get here, and more due to the fact that her Faunus ears were exposed.

Ruby and Weiss understood without words, and swiftly started looking about for something that might be able to cover them for her.

But Yang spotted a group of Faunus sauntering happily through the park not far off, and nudged Blake to have her observe.

"See?" Yang grinned. "There's nothin' to be afraid of in this world. Faunus are free here, too."

Blake's flattened ears slowly began to rise in relief.

Even so, Ruby and Weiss were already working together on something to help their teammate out.

They picked the wildflowers around them, weaving and tying the stems together, helping one another hold the flowers in place. Blake watched them curiously from over Ruby's shoulder, and it was only another minute before the brunette popped up wearing a wide, toothy grin.

"Here you go!" she chirped. "A flower crown!"

Gently, she slipped it on over Blake's Faunus ears, resting it atop her human ones to keep it secure. It was made of mostly purple and a few yellow flowers.

The other three stood back to examine the results and all nodded in approval.

"Looks great!" Yang said, giving a thumbs-up.

"Adorable," Weiss commented.

"Yeah!" Ruby agreed. "You look super cute!"

Blake blushed redder and redder at each compliment before she had to turn her face away.

"We... we should make them for you guys, too," she mumbled. "So we can match."

Ruby's face lit up even more – if that was even possible – as she looked to Weiss and her sister.

"Whaddaya say, guys? Flower crowns for all?"

"Sounds good to me!" Yang nodded.

"I mean, all things considered," Weiss said. "We're supposed to be enjoying ourselves to the fullest here without worrying about anything, right? So that sounds like a very nice idea."

With all of them in agreement, they began collecting as many wildflowers as they could hold in their arms – pink, white, purple, and yellow. They scoured the large grassy area of the park, finding the flowers with the longest stems before plucking them.

Once they'd gathered enough for three more crowns, they sat down and set to work.

Ruby made a crown for Weiss entirely out of white flowers. Weiss made one for Yang that was mostly yellow, with a bit of purple – just the opposite of Blake's. And the Faunus girl helped the blonde make a yellow and pink crown for Ruby.

Once they'd all finished their creations, they put them on for their respective friends.

Before long, they were all adorning colorful crowns and nodding in satisfaction.

"We look great!" Yang cheered.

"I'll say!" Ruby agreed.

They helped one another up from the grass and dusted each other off.

It was then the four of them realized they had completed their first "task."

"Well..." Ruby went on. "We still have until sunrise. What should we do for the rest of the day? What have you guys... always _wanted_ to do?"

She wasn't asking just for the sake of asking. She was asking because this was _their_ wish, too.

Ruby had made it for all of their sakes; she wanted them all to be able to do the things their current lives had denied them.

She looked to each of them in turn, and it was her sister who ended up speaking first.

"Heh, y'know... I'm kinda thirsty, but no way in heck am I in the mood for a beer," she joked. "I wouldn't mind... some juice, or soda or something..." She knew it sounded silly, but it was all she could think of right now.

But the others understood. The drinks they drank as adults were for the purpose of staving off regret with bitterness, be it alcohol to forget or coffee to gain forced energy.

It would be nice to drink something sugary again – just for fun, just because they were kids.

Even Weiss agreed with the blonde's proposal.

"I'm sick of wine," she said. "I've never had soda before, but-"

"What?!" The sisters gasped dramatically together. Ruby went on quickly. "Alright, that's it we're all getting soda! Let's go!"

Together, they began marching off toward the nearby town.

Within just a few minutes of passing people and looking over the available shops, Ruby spotted what they were looking for. It was a small deli with an ice cream store nearby.

Eagerly, she ushered her team inside so they may view their options of beverages.

Yang went to the small glass fridge and pulled out a bottle of soda. She handed one to Weiss, but the young heiress refused and took a lemonade instead. Ever the same, Blake got a bottle of water. Ruby went up to the ice cream counter and requested a chocolate milkshake.

It was only after they all had their drinks in-hand when they realized they had no money here. The four girl's hearts sank as they reluctantly went to put back their drinks and apologize.

"Sorry, guys," Yang sighed. "I wasn't thinking. I got everyone's hopes up..."

But the man behind the counter stopped them.

"Just take them," he said. "Don't worry about it."

The four girls' faces lit up like fireworks in the night sky.

"Really?" Ruby gasped. "Thank you sososososoooo much!"

"Thank you!" Yang added, and Weiss and Blake dipped their heads gratefully.

The four headed out of the shop together to enjoy their drinks.

 _ **Remember the time we had soda for wine and got by on gratitude?**_

They found an empty table and pulled up four chairs, placing their respective drinks and bottles down.

Ruby slurped at her milkshake, just as she still did as her twenty-one-year-old self, going a bit too quickly right off the bat and giving herself brain-freeze. She whimpered and yelped before Weiss reached over to pinch her nose for her. Yang merely laughed out loud as Blake hid a smaller chuckle.

They sipped at their own drinks for a while, and eventually, Weiss let go of Ruby after scolding her to slow down a bit with drinking.

The heiress went to her lemonade and sipped daintily at it. Yang slid close and waggled her eyebrows.

"Wanna try some soda?"

"Not on your life!" Weiss snapped. "That sugary garbage will be the death of you, you know."

"Aw, c'mon! This is only my first one in like seven years!" Yang whined pitifully.

"Try it, Weiss!" Ruby urged her. "You might like it!"

"Plus," Blake added. "If you don't like it, you can wash it down with some of my water."

With all three of them looking at her like that, Weiss couldn't refuse.

"Fine..."

She wiped the rim of Yang's bottle with a napkin before taking a cautious sip. Yang was almost tempted to tip the bottle back to make her spill, but Blake elbowed her away.

Weiss shuddered as she swallowed and put the bottle down.

"Well~?" Ruby prompted.

Weiss stuck out her tongue a bit.

"It's so fizzy! But... not all that bad. I just don't understand how you could drink that in excess."

"Soooo you like?" Yang smirked.

"Not really," Weiss shrugged. "But I guess I don't hate it."

"Aww, lighten up, princess!" Yang chuckled. "But no, seriously though. Why d'ya have to sit all straight up and proper like that? Take a breather," she said, noting the heiress' stiff posture. "I mean, you're always like this, I know. But even _now?_ With what we've been granted? Take a load off!"

Weiss looked away.

"It's not that simple to break such habits," she huffed, taking another sip of lemonade as an excuse to stop talking.

Ruby's smile faded, and Blake's ears twitched in concern behind the barrier of flowers. Weiss heaved a sigh and decided to elaborate after all.

"I was raised this way all my life," she explained. "I feel you all know as much by now. You've heard me go on and on about it enough times, I'm sure. It was always 'Sit up straight, chin up, eyes forward.' When I was younger, they trained me for how I should behave when I grew older. If I were to make a mistake when I was over the age of ten, I was punished and ridiculed.

"But before then... in simpler times..." She trailed off for a moment, a small smile curling her lips. Subconsciously, her posture slumped – just a bit, just enough to visibly be considered comfortable.

"Perhaps... just for today..."

Yang grinned again, and Blake nodded happily.

Ruby scooched her chair over and hugged Weiss softly.

 _ **The worst they could do to you was check your attitude**_

Once they'd all finished their drinks and had thrown away their garbage, the four continued to walk the streets of the sunny day.

They paused several times to allow Ruby to pet a passing dog, and Weiss joined her a few times, although Blake clung to Yang's arm and stood a few feet away.

As they continued to saunter, they could all feel it - feel the carefree air that danced around them on a warm breeze. There were no thoughts tugging at the backs of their minds, no regrets to dwell on or stress to hold them back from enjoying themselves.

They passed a small toy store, outside of which were several large buckets of toy animals, dolls, and other colorful things. On the buckets were signs that read "FREE" and then a few strings of sentences explaining how the store was restocking newer items and giving these away without charge.

Ruby ran to the buckets and began rummaging about while the others looked through things a bit more slowly.

Weiss found a doll with long shaggy hair and used a small brush from one of the toy horses to comb it neat again.

Blake found a stuffed cat that had lost an eye. She tore off a small bit of her bandana to wrap it around the cat's face, giving it an eyepatch of sorts.

Yang found a bunch of building toys, things she'd adored as a child and had always helped Ruby with in building things – hence how she had gotten so passionate about weapons.

But it was Ruby who squeaked loudest of all as she triumphed in her search.

"Guys, look what I found!" She stood up, holding four small, green squirt guns, all filled with water. She distributed them to her teammates, wearing a wide grin all the while. "We gotta have a battle!"

"Excuse me?" Weiss quirked an eyebrow. "How exactly are we supposed to-"

"Like this!" Without any more warning than that, Yang spray the heiress' back. She shrieked out loud and rounded on the blonde.

"Why- Why you! Ugh!"

"Yang, no fair!" Ruby whined. "No surprise attacks!"

"Well, it's not a surprise anymore!" she declared, squirting Ruby's shirt.

"Hey! You're gonna get it!"

"Uh, Yang?" Blake tugged her sleeve. "I think you should run."

"You're comin' with me!"

"Wh-What-"

"Run!" Yang grabbed her partner's arm and tore off down the sidewalk.

Ruby shared a look with Weiss and smirked.

"Let's get 'em!"

They gave chase and started squirting water whenever they could take aim, dodging the counter attacks Blake and Yang shot back at them.

Shrieks and laughter filled the air as the four of them got progressively soaked, but they just kept running with smiles on their faces.

 _ **When fights were for fun, with water in guns**_

They chased one another for a long time, even after their water guns had run out of ammunition.

By then, they had left their toys on the sidewalk for some other group of children to claim.

The four girls ran around town, letting the warm sun and air dry off their clothes, playing tag and "I Spy" and all sorts of games.

By the time the sun had gone down, they had found themselves back in the park. A purple twilight was creeping in, and the girls returned to the flower field where they had first found themselves in this world.

Their flower crowns were a bit disheveled by now, but still somehow intact.

They walked slowly, all in a line. Yang held onto Blake's hand, and Blake held hers and Ruby's. Ruby held Blake's and Weiss'.

They walked and walked until the birdsong was replaced by the chirping of crickets. That was when Blake stopped walking, causing the others to halt as well.

"What's the matter?" Yang wondered.

Blake flicked her ears a bit nervously.

"Are we... supposed to go back now?"

Ruby shook her head.

"Not until sunrise, I think. We have all night."

Blake swallowed.

"You _want_ to go back?" Weiss asked softly.

The Faunus girl sighed a little shakily.

"It's just... nighttime was always hard for me. For a long time, I never had a place to stay. Finding shelter was hard, but even then, it was scary to be alone."

The others were silent.

Yang spoke up first.

"Well, you're not alone this time, Blake. You've got _us_."

She let go of her partner's hand, only to embrace her instead. Ruby tugged Weiss along as well, and together, the three enveloped Blake in a gentle warmth.

It was the safest Blake had ever felt in all her life. She felt protected, and unconditionally loved.

After a long moment, Yang slowly pulled away, keeping hold of Blake's hands.

"C'mere," she murmured.

She led Blake toward a large tree in the park, Ruby and Weiss keeping to each of the Faunus girl's sides to guide her. They paused beneath the shelter of the tree.

"This'll be _our_ spot," Yang decided. "Just for tonight. Just for us."

Blake looked to the others, and there were reassuring smiles all around.

A single tear slipped down her cheek, and she pulled them all back into her arms.

 _ **And a place we could call our own...**_

They laid down in the cool grass and gazed up at the sky.

Past the swaying leaves of the tree above them, they could make out the stars winking to life in the dark, vast ocean of the sky. The constellations were humbling, filling their minds with wonder and questions.

And yet, at the same time, they felt as though they didn't truly need answers.

Looking up at the night sky as adults would have brought on thoughts of troubles, trials to come or regrets that hadn't yet passed. They all had experienced it more than their fair share of times.

And yet... looking at it now only gave them comfort, a peace of mind present in their temporary innocence. It was an innate enjoyment of the raw universe, untainted and purely organic by nature.

The moon hung overhead, shattered as always, breaking apart slightly like an unmoving puzzle.

The girls curled up together on their backs and on their sides. Ruby clung to her sister's side while still managing to keep an arm around Weiss. Blake curled at Yang's other side, secure in the blonde's loose, half-embrace.

The night air was cool, but they were nothing but warm.

They didn't think about the dawn and what was to come with it. They just remembered their day of freedom together, and enjoyed the moment.

Before long, eyelids began to flutter and close.

But before they all closed their eyes, a small streak of white tore across the sky for all of them to witness.

Without words, they all closed their eyes and made wishes upon that shooting star.

Once it had passed, the four girls faded off into slumber, cherishing the day they'd shared, and awaiting the morning when they could wake together once more.

 ** _It would be nice to start over again..._**

When they regained consciousness, their bodies had returned to normal.

They woke together in the early dawn light of the forest rather than the stifling darkness of the Weaver's cave.

When they pushed themselves up and stretched, the usual lethargic weight was absent from their muscles. Instead, their bodies felt oddly rejuvenated, as though the energy they'd received during their experience had lingered.

Looking up into the trees, they found no remnants of the Weavers' webs or kills – likely, when the hoard had been wiped out, all of their crafts had disintegrated not long afterward.

The trees were free to let their leaves and branches dance on the breeze once more, unbound by the destructive, restrictive threads. Birds were chirping once more, and life had been restored and placed back into the hands of nature as it should have been, without the presence of monsters.

The four huntresses didn't say much as they roused themselves. Most things could be communicated simply through the wondrous looks they exchanged:

 _Was that real? Was it all in our heads?_

It had certainly felt real, that was for certain.

But there seemed to be a message within their collective consciousness, an unspoken agreement that if they were to candidly discuss the events that had befallen them, that it might disappear from their memories.

What they had gone through in the past twenty-four hours wasn't something people came across every day in the world of Remnant.

There were rumors of magics, but few legends existed telling of such tales.

It seemed best to keep this little ordeal between the four of them; there was nothing much the rest of the world would gain from hearing it, after all.

The spider was dead and could grant no more wishes, so why give others false hopes?

Ruby's wish had been for herself and her teammates, and no one else. It was their special secret, one they would be able to look back on fondly for the rest of their lives, and never need anything more than a mischievous smile to draw attention to.

Once the initial confusion had worn off, and they all finally realized they were back in their present lives, Ruby was certain to get back into the role of the leader.

"Is everyone alright? Blake, how's your arm?"

"Healed," she reported.

"Weiss, your back?"

"It doesn't hurt at all."

"Yang? No concussions?"

"Nope. All's well with this ol' noggin!"

A small wave of relief washed over Ruby when she was certain none of her treasured friends were seriously injured.

It was then Ruby's scroll buzzed within her dress pocket. When she opened it, she found it only had 6% battery left. That in addition to the date in the corner of the screen reassured her that she and her teammates had only been gone on this mission for about thirty hours.

She answered the call, and it was her boss demanding to know the status of their mission. Ruby apologized for not having called him sooner, saying they'd only just finished the fight but had emerged victorious. The man grunted but gave an approving nod of his head, informing her to head back to Mountain Glenn for the Air Ship to take them home. She agreed and hung up.

The four girls shared quick glances with one another, and that was when they each caught sight of something.

Weiss reached out first, pulling a small pink flower from Ruby's hair. Blake revealed the white one that had been caught in Weiss' tresses, Yang plucked the purple one from Blake's, and Ruby cradled Yang's yellow one in her palm.

Without words, they handed each person her respective flower. Carefully, they slipped them into pockets and pouches securely.

Before they could begin to head out, Ruby found she needed to pause. Weiss wrapped her in a soft embrace, sighing happily into her shoulder. Blake followed shortly afterward, putting a hand behind Ruby's and Weiss' backs and pressing close to them. They braced themselves as the final piece to their puzzle joined in, and Yang squeezed Blake and Weiss as she pressed to her sister's back.

With a surge of strength, the blonde picked all three of them up a few inches off the ground, earning a few huffs and chuckles before their boots found grass once more.

They simply enjoyed each other's close company for a few minutes, eyes closed in a temporary rest of sorts, breathing together as they supported their friends and found their own support in one another.

When they parted, fingers slipped down arms and wrists to entwine, each of them taking hold of the other's hands, and they began to walk just as they had as children.

Getting to have their lives rewound for a day had been an indescribable experience.

But it had helped prove some things to their current selves.

Whatever hardships they were facing right now, or would surely face in the future, they would always have this secret memory to share.

And they would always have each other.

* * *

 **A/N: This story was a way to combine several of my ideas into one. I think it worked rather nicely, though I understand it might've been odd for some of you. Even so, that's all there is to it. I hope you enjoyed!**

 **If you like my work, please support me on as Kiria Alice!**

 **Please review!**


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